A new respect for lighting guys.

[dodgechargerfan]

I've always marvelled at how they get all that stuff rigged up and working and how the work becomes part of the concert.

But until last night, I didn't realize how important it was because I saw a show where the lighting was so obviously screwed up, it was distracting from the performance.

I saw Colin James and the Little Big Band 3 last night. It was a good show akthough between the sound engineers and the lighting crew, I felt that someone should have lost their job last night.

Sound mix seemed to be all over the place from one song to the next. Now, I don't have a very good ear for that sort of thing. So, if I notice it, it's REALLY bad.

I noticed at times that CJ's voice seems to be overdriving the mic. Then, it seemed okay and he was singing similar in both cases - really belting it out.
Some piano solos seemed like my head was inside the piano and someone had slammed the the lid. Guitar got loast in the mix a few times.
There were a few guitar mishaps too, but between Colin and the tech they made a guitar switch without missing a beat. That's pretty cool. Funny sidenote: when I saw Stevie Ray Vaughan in the same venue, he did exatcly the same thing. Creaky tremolo, busted string, changed guitars mid-song.

Anyway, the lighting guys...
With a 4-man horn section, it's not difficult to figure out which of the two saxaphone players is playing a solo. That is unless, you're the lighting guy that was working the spot last night. "Hey, it would be more interesting to watch the guy not playing clear his spit valve than watch the guy making that amazing sound." right?
Or "Ya know, It doesn't matter that all 4 guys are playing. Let's just keep the spot on one guy. Maybe the audience will think that the sound of 2 saxes, a trombone, and a trumpet are all coming out of one alto sax. That'd be real funny."
"oh look. Colin is moving over to stage right for a guitar solo. No no. Leave the spot light on the microphone. He'll be back. Mive it? Really? Okay.. Where'd he go?"
It went on and on through the whole show. It was kind of silly.
And why do those spinning, rotating, gyrating, coloured spots HAVE to swing through to the audience on EVERY move? I spent more time blinking than I did watching.

So, hat's off to all of the lighting crews that worked all of the shows that I've ever seen before. You know you did your job well because no one noticed your work - because it was such an integral part of the show.

 

[Not A Duster]

I'm suprised Colin had any light on him at all. He prefers to be lit dimly, if at all - much to the chagrin of those who paid to see him play.

As far as the rest of your show is concerned, well - what you experienced is a direct result of the current trend of hiring production based on the lowest bidder, rather than qualifications or ability.

Someone lose their job?

It won't happen - not as long as they will work for 50% - 75% less. Did you make your dis-satisfaction known to anyone involved with the event? Any time I point out deficiencies in the work the bottom-feeder production people do around here, the answer from the promoters is always the same: "Nobody complained, so it must be good enough."

Artists and promoters are looking to recoup revenue they lost when people stopped buying music. This means higher ticket prices and and cutting costs wherever possible.

Sweeping the moving lights through the crowd is a dynamic effect that gets the audience involved with the show. But it should be just that- an effect that's used sparingly or else it loses it's impact and becomes an annoyance. Unfortunately, most of the younger "LD's" have not figured that out yet. They are so enamoured with the technology that's available to them that they feel the need to push it to it's limits all the time, regardless of whether it suits what's happening onstage musically or not. So you will find the movers constantly panning through the crowd, strobing, doing color rolls and generally ruining the performance for those who paid to see it. It's getting even worse with the current rise in LED video walls. You can tell when it's a kid running the things, or someone with a little more experience. An experienced tech is using the technology to enhance the show. The less experienced techs think they are the show.


A good friend of mine, who also happens to be the Technical Director at the local theatre recently drove 9 hours and payed a fortune to see Evanescence. He told me that throughout the entire show, he never saw the singer's face once. She was in the dark throughout the entire show.

The rule of thumb among experienced LD's is "light the money" which means the artist. These kids that are out there don't get it - and many of us old dawgs are not out there doin' it much anymore, because the paycheck ain't what it used to be - none of us are willing to put a 18 hour day in for peanuts.

 

[dodgechargerfan]

I'm suprised Colin had any light on him at all. He prefers to be lit dimly, if at all - much to the chagrin of those who paid to see him play.

You're right. I call it a spot light but it wasn't your typical white circle on the floor type of spot. But when he moved out of the center of the stage they did light him - most of the time - with a softer coloured light.

Something else that just occured to me: before the show started and in between the opening act and Colin, there was rectangular lights - looking sort of like piano keys - shot up on the back curtain. It looked as though they were testing them out. However, I do not recall seeing them used during the performance.

BTW, the opening act was Michael Kaeshammer, a jazz/boogie woogie pianist. He was pretty darn good. Just him and a drummer. They didn't move around much. So, the lights were pretty easy to deal with.